MANILA -- For the first time since Season 81, National University is headed to the Finals of the UAAP men's tennis tournament.

The Bulldogs got the job done on Sunday, overcoming No. 3 seed University of the Philippines, 3-1, in a do-or-die Final 4 match at the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center in Manila.

National U needed to maximize its twice-to-beat advantage after a narrow 2-3 loss on Saturday. But they refused to let UP complete the upset, eliminating the Fighting Maroons to secure a spot in the championship round against University of Santo Tomas.

READ: UST men book tennis finals berth for third straight season

There, they will compete for their sixth overall men's title in this tournament supported by Wilson Philippines.

NU celebrates its win against UP in the do-or-die Final 4 tie in the UAAP Season 87 men's tennis tournament, April 6, 2025 at the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Center in Manila. UAAP Media

"Sobrang happy namin na nakapasok kami sa finals. Kasi sa Final Four, twice-to-beat kami tapos natalo kami kahapon so sabi namin [sa players], 'Laruin niyo lang 'yung laro niyo', kasi wala na eh, kumbaga do-or-die kailangan talagang gapangin," said NU head coach Ronard Joven.

The best-of-3 championship series between NU and three-peat seeking UST begins at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the same venue. The women's final will feature the same matchup, with NU and UST vying for the title earlier in the day at 7 a.m.

Tie 1 will also break the tie between the Bulldogs and the Male Tennisters this season as the eliminations ended with a split. NU won the first round to deal UST its first loss, 3-2, but the defending champions bagged the second-round meeting, 4-1.

Team captain EJ Tugade delivered when it mattered most, securing a nail-biting 7(11)-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 win over Miguel Iglupas in the third singles match to send the Bulldogs to the championship.

Andrei Padao led NU's charge in the first singles match, dominating Aslan Carbonilla 6-0, 6-0 in a statement performance.

Loucas Fernandez breezed past Lazaro, dropping just three games on his way to a 6-3, 6-0 victory in the third singles match, giving the Fighting Maroons their only point.

In a hard-fought 6(5)-7(7), 6-4, 10-5 victory, Angil Balaoing and Christian Padilla battled through a grueling three-set match against Raymund Goco and Lance Fernandez, giving the Bulldogs a crucial 2-1 lead.

The second doubles match between NU's Aljon Talatayod and Gab Bandoquillo, and UP's Andrei Jarata and Karl Miguel, was later abandoned at 6-1, 5-5, with UP leading.

"So sabi ko, laro lang talaga sila tapos buti naman naniniwala sila sa sarili nila, sa kakayahan nila kasi hindi rin biro kalaban 'yung UP kasi kumpleto din sila. So ngayon, swerte lang talaga 'yung laban namin ngayon na nanalo kami. Kumbaga para sa amin talaga 'yung laro na 'to," added Joven.